Bille Jean King

April 23, 2008

There may not be another female athlete out there that fought more against sexism than the great Billie Jean King. King, who will always be remembered for her fight against sexism, was also one of the best female tennis players ever. During her career that spanned 5 decades, King nabbed 12 Grand Slam titles, which included 6 Wimbledon titles. King was also a double splayer as she an impressive 16 Grand Slam doubles titles and 11 Grand Slam mixed doubles titles.

One match the legendary King will always be remembered for is her match against former Wimbledon champion Bobby Riggs. Riggs, who is a man, was 55 years old at the time of the match, but King’s victory over Riggs was considered a huge milestone in King’s fight against sexism. In a world where sexism is still seen, especially in Sports, it’s a shame that we don’t see more female athletes that are outspoken against this today.